Region 9 School of Applied Technology instructor Jon Longley, standing, speaks to the board of directors Wednesday at the school in Mexico about student’s experiences this fall. Seated behind him at right is Jeff Rainey, instructor of the Outdoor Skills and Leadership program. Seated at the table nearest to Longley is Director Peter DeFilipp of Mexico beside Bruce Ross of Dixfield. Seated in the foreground are Directors Wayne Thurston of Peru and Karen Thurston of Andover. Marianne Hutchinson/Rumford Falls Times

MEXICO — Instructors at the Region 9 School of Applied Technology described to the board of directors Wednesday evening student experiences to prepare them for a range of careers, outdoor skills and leadership opportunities.

“We’ve done everything from plumbing, electrical, welding, (Emergency Medical Services), firefighting, heavy machinery, outdoor skills and leadership, and culinary (arts),” Career and Technical Education instructor Jon Longley said of the 10 freshmen students in the CTE introductory class.

Director Bruce Ross of Dixfield asked Longley to describe a typical school day.

He said activities with students were “predictably unpredictable.” For example, on Wednesday they were bending and making a stovepipe, crimping it and then bringing it to a community member’s home. “That was today’s adventure. And while we were there, we shoveled his driveway and stacked the wood for him,” Longley said.

Outdoor Skills and Leadership instructor Jeff Rainey said a 60-foot long storage building is being constructed at Little Concord Pond State Park in Woodstock for kayaks, canoes and other items. It will also have space for gear preparation, Rainey said.

The property is a little over 15 acres, including a field and a wooded area. The camp on the property will be remodified to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act for classroom use, Region 9 Director Brenda Gammon said in May.

Rainey said students will receive a wildlife trapper education course Dec. 16 and 20 at the school from a safety coordinator from the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.

In November, Rainey and his students prepared and processed the meat from an 8-point buck harvested by student Mitchell Giberson, who requested it be a lesson for students. Rainey said that the deer was hung outside the school on a forklift.

“I get huge reviews on that every year,” he said. People love the fact that these students get hands-on experience and are learning that deer meat processing skill.”

In other business at the meeting, Adult and Community Education Director Dave Murphy said the program is working to provide more enrichment activities in the local schools, such as a recent art class held at Dirigo High School in Dixfield.

He also said Region 9 was recently recognized at a conference of state adult education directors as one of eight top technical schools for its adult education programs. The award was based on such things as growth and student enrollment. He estimated there are between 50 to 60 students in the program.

In other news, directors hired Susan Mills of Andover as a workforce development coordinator. Murphy, who recommended Mills for the position, said past coordinators have been responsible for developing and making sure the certified nursing assistant program “is offered seamlessly. That involves a lot of work with the state; work with (businesses such as) clinical health group homes, where we’re going to be placing our students for clinicals,” he said.

Region 9 School of Applied Technology instructor Jeff Rainey, standing, describes to directors Wednesday what students have been learning this fall. Among the classes were preparing and processing an 8-point buck harvested by Region 9 student Mitchell Giberson. Seated at right at the school in Mexico is Career and Technical Education instructor Jon Longley. At the table, from left, are Directors Levi Brown of Bethel, Bruce Ross of Dixfield and Peter DeFilipp of Mexico. Seated in the foreground are Directors Wayne Thurston of Peru and Karen Thurston of Andover. Marianne Hutchinson/Rumford Falls Times